We’ve all seen books used as a foundation (no pun intended) for many a styling photoshoot around the web and in magazines.  The thing is, once you’re in front of them in a book store, the price tag is sometimes a little intimidating.  Sure, they’re only $20ish bucks a piece, but if you get enough to make a statement on a shelf, there you are spending a few hundo on some design books.

The above (and below) books are some that I’ve invested in this past year, and I’ll tell you my secret – buy used.  I bought a few of these titles through Amazon and they were actually old library books! Can you believe it?  I like that they had a little bit of character too with the library names stamped on the inside.

In case you’re interested, here are the books I’ve purchased recently and the links to them!

For the Minimalist – Simply Scandinavian by Sara Norrman; For the Voyer – The Selby is in Your Place by Todd Selby; For the Traditionalist – Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design by Heather Smith MacIsaac; For the Trend Setter – Domino, The Book of Decorating by domino editors Deborah Needleman, Sara Ruffin Costello, and Dara Caponigro; For the DIYer – Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney; For the Whimsical – Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick.

Woohoo!  (I just felt like saying that) Any of your favorite design books you’d like to share?

Have an AWE-INSPIRING Thursday!